When we think of a Bigfoot type creature in
Florida we often immediately think of the “Skunk Ape” of the Everglades. This is because many TV shows focus on that
area and the man who has made a name for himself with Skunk Ape sightings,
study and even a museum. Yet a skunk ape and a Bigfoot are two different
creatures. The skunk ape of the Everglades is just that………an ape. It shows up
in other swampy areas in the lower half of the state too, but it is a specific
kind of animal. The Florida Bigfoot is not a skunk ape. They may share some
characteristics but they are two separate species. The Bigfoot is much bigger,
smarter, and much more of an omnivore than the skunk ape that eats mostly a
vegetarian diet. Florida has both of these creatures and in the winter time the
Bigfoot snowbirds come down from the Carolinas too, adding to the mix. So how
do you tell the difference? Well here are some pointers that we can offer from
our studies of sightings down through the years and personal experiences in the
field.

The Florida
Bigfoot found in forested and swampy areas in Central and North Florida is
huge. It tops out at 9 feet or so heavy it sometimes weighs up to 1000 pounds.
It had longer, shaggy, unkempt hair that looks sort of like a cross between
human hair and a husky type dog. The hair is dull, and varies in length on
certain parts of their bodies, being shorter on the torso and longer on the
head, arms, legs etc. It can be sparse and at times skin can be seen between
the hair, especially if the creature suffers from skin problems as animals
always do in tropical heat where insects and parasites are active. Color of
coat varies, so they can be : black, brown, grey, silver, and most commonly
reddish brown ,sort of like an Irish setter dog. They have features that seem
to be a cross between an ape and a man with very sentient eyes.

The skunk
ape of the south, which also shows up occasionally in other places from time to
time is shorter, much thinner, than and not quite as smart as the Bigfoot. They
resemble more of a dark colored Orangutan or Chimp and make sounds like a
monkey. They do not have the human like features of the Florida Bigfoot. They
seldom venture into human traffic areas and seem to be most prevalent in the
Everglades.

Snow bird
Bigfoots from up north: The creatures that come down here in the winter look
very different than our home boy. They have short glossy black or dark brown
hair that covers their entire body, sort of like the length of a Rottweiler
dog. They are huge and massively built and have the features of a Gorilla type
primate. They are more elusive but also more aggressive than the Florida
Bigfoot. They tend to be hunters and seem to eat more prey food sources than
anything else. They will kill and eat just about anything. In kill sites we
have found deer, hogs, coyotes, and even alligators carcasses. Luckily most
folks never sight these northern intruders, although it does happen.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A FLORIDA BIGFOOT.

If you should be
out in the woods and encounter a Florida Bigfoot, you can probably avoid
any troubles by acting in the following manner. Stay calm, don't show
any aggressive behavior, do not attempt to shoot it, if you have a
gun, as he probably will not go down and will then be really pissed! The
Florida Bigfoot has been shot by three different men on three
different occasions that we know of personally, and did not seem to be very
injured or affected at all. He just got mad!

The Bigfoot is not an aggressive creature and
usually encounters start with a staring contest and end with him walking away
into the forest. If you are in his territory he may throw rocks at you, if he
feels threatened. Dogs usually will not even go near one of these creatures but
some dogs, like some people are too brave for their own good. If you have a dog
with you, do not let the dog charge at one of these creatures, they kill dogs
like we swat a fly, and you do not want to lose your dog.

The Florida Bigfoot dislikes bright light so a flashlight may be enough
to send him packing. If he does not walk away, then you should just lower your
head a bit and walk away. He will see this as a sign that you do not want
confrontation and ease his territorial concerns, which will keep him from
reacting in a defensive manner. Screaming is a very bad idea, as in
the family of the great apes, screaming is a gesture that usually precedes a
charge of aggression. Smiling and showing your teeth may also be a bad idea as
a display of teeth in the ape world is a sign of aggression as well. If the
Bigfoot follows this same code of signals, and behavior patterns of the great
apes, then screaming or smiling, may land you in big trouble.

The best thing to do if you do
encounter any of these creatures is to not panic, and slowly walk away. ……………..

Food sources?

The Florida Bigfoot has
access to many food sources in the Florida forests and wetlands. He can find
choke cherries, pine nuts, grubs, taro, skunk cabbage and endless kinds of
edible plants. He raids citrus and other fruit trees, and will steal just about
a thousand or so other things that an omnivorous primate can consume. If you
consider that the mountain Gorilla eats even stinging nettle stems, then it
goes to show you just how versatile a great ape's diet can be. Bigfoot is also
a great hunter who will catch and eat prey of all kinds from frogs and fish to
large livestock. Now if the Bigfoot has similar habits to both people and great
apes then he will stay well fed in the tropical state of Florida. Fresh water
sources are also a big attraction to the Bigfoot and Florida has many of them.
I will now turn you over to Laurie.